Association between ADAMTS13 activity–VWF antigen imbalance and the therapeutic effect of HAIC in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Hepatocellular carcinoma patients’ characteristics between stable disease + partial response and progressive disease with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy

Variable	Total (n = 72)	SD + PR (n = 41)	PD (n = 31)	P value
Age (yr)	70.5 (64.2–76.1)	72.0 (66.4–76.4)	67.8 (58.9–75.1)	NS
Sex (male/female)	57/15	32/9	25/6	NS
Etiology (HBV/HCV/alcohol/NASH/others)	17/36/10/4/5	6/23/5/4/3	11/13/5/0/2	NS
Albumin (g/dL)	3.2 (3.0–3.6)	3.3 (3.0–3.6)	3.2 (3.0–3.7)	NS
Prothrombin time (%)	76.0 (60.5–85.3)	78.0 (57.0–86.0)	73.0 (63.5–83.0)	NS
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)	1.2 (0.8–2.1)	1.2 (0.7–2.1)	1.2 (0.8–2.2)	NS
Platelet count (× 104/mm3)	10.4 (7.1–14.9)	10.8 (7.0–13.2)	10.1 (7.6–17.1)	NS
AFP (ng/mL)	95.3 (17.9–1162.5)	101.0 (21.2–931.5)	87.1 (13.2–1349.2)	NS
DCP (mAU/mL)	359.5 (58.0–5277.5)	348 (42.3–1542.8)	609.0 (88.2–279.4)	NS
AFP-L3% (%)	33.7 (7.7–73.4)	34.3 (6.9–73.4)	22.2 (8.1–68.8)	NS
Maximum tumor size (cm)	3.3 (2.2–5.0)	3.0 (2.0–5.0)	3.5 (2.9–3.5)	NS
Tumor number (1/2/3/4/> 4)	9/5/6/2/50	5/4/3/2/27	4/1/3/0/23	NS
Vascular invasion (present/absent)	31/41	20/21	11/20	NS
Treatment period (days)	121 (41–218)	191 (120–311)	40.0 (26–61)	< 0.05

Data are expressed as median (interquartile range). P values represent comparisons between SD + PR and PD with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. SD: Stable disease; PR: Partial response; PD: Progressive disease; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; DCP: Des-γ-carboxy prothrombin; AFP-L3%: Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein.

Table 2 Predictive factors for response of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Variable	Univariable analysis		Multivariable analysis
	OR (95%CI)	P value	OR (95%CI)	P value
Age > 65 yr	2.61 (0.905–7.5)	0.076
Sex (male vs female)	0.853 (0.268–2.72)	0.788
Albumin > 2.8 g/dL	1.40 (0.404–4.85)	0.596
Prothrombin time > 80%	2.68 (1.010–7.10)	0.0469	1.98 (0.654–5.96)	0.227
Total bilirubin > 2 mg/dL	0.896 (0.317–2.53)	0.836
Platelet count > 20 × 104/µL	1.57 (0.268–9.16)	0.618
AFP > 50 ng/mL	0.523 (0.194–1.41)	0.199
DCP > 20 mAU/mL	0.381 (0.0938–1.55)	0.177
AFP-L3% > 20%	1.33 (0.491–3.62)	0.572
VEGF > 100 pg/mL	0.223 (0.0802–0.618)	0.0039	0.370 (0.127–1.07)	0.0677
Maximum tumor size > 2.3 cm	0.414 (0.130–1.32)	0.137
Tumor number > 2	1.07 (0.261–4.35)	0.928
Vascular invasion (present/absent)	1.73 (0.665–4.51)	0.261
ADAMTS13:AC > 75%	1.25 (0.355–4.41)	0.727
VWF:Ag > 260%	0.711 (0.279–1.81)	0.476
VWF:Ag/ADAMTS13:AC > 2.7	0.141 (0.0418–0.476)	0.0016	0.176 (0.0493–0.631)	0.00766

OR: Odds ratio; CI: Confidence interval; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; DCP: Des-γ-carboxy prothrombin; AFP-L3%: Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; ADAMTS13: A disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motifs 13; ADAMTS13:AC: ADAMTS13 activity; VWF: Von Willebrand factor; VWF:Ag: VWF antigen; VWF:Ag/ADAMTS13:AC ratio: Ratio of VWF:Ag to ADAMTS13:AC.